Developing a basic input/output system (BIOS) of a computer such as a server device involves an operation check test of the BIOS. The operation check test of the BIOS checks booting of an operating system (OS) supported by the computer. The OS, when booted, performs processes such as examining states of hardware units such as a memory available for the OS to use, and reading data used for the booting of the OS from a hard disc drive (HDD). When performing these processes, the OS calls BIOS functions to examine the state of use of the memory and connection states of hardware units, and to read the data from the HDD.
The process in calling the BIOS functions when the OS is booted differs between types of the OS. The booting of every type of OS is checked to check the operation of the BIOS with respect to a plurality of types of OSs.
In the development of the BIOS, the BIOS is modified or changed to deal with bugs that have occurred during the operation check. It is also requested to further check whether the change or the modification is correctly reflected in the BIOS. After the bugs are fixed, the operation check is performed based on the BIOS whose bugs have been fixed. In the operation check after the bug fix, the booting of all of the OSs supported by the computer needs to be checked to ensure that the fixing does not affect the operation. Such an operation check after the bug fix is hereinafter called a “regression test”.
In general, the regression test ensures that a partial functional change or the bug fix in the BIOS does not affect other unchanged functions of the BIOS. In the booting of the OS, the BIOS function is called during a period before an OS loader starts. Therefore, the behavior caused by the calling of the BIOS function is checked by a specialist by checking screen information and/or by temporarily halting the booting and tracing the BIOS call, using a hardware debugger. In this manner, in the regression test, the booting operation of the OS is conventionally checked by visually checking the behavior.
There are the following two methods for conducting the regression test for a plurality of OSs: One is a method in which the test is conducted with a hard disk to be connected being switched. This is a method in which the OSs are installed on different HDDs, and an operator switches the HDDs to be connected to boot, and thus checks the operation of the BIOS in booting of the different OSs. In this case, the regression test of the BIOS is conducted by visually checking the behavior while temporarily halting the calling of the BIOS using the hardware debugger.
The other method is a method in which all of the HDDs on which different OSs are installed are connected, and the operator sequentially changes the HDDs to boot through the setting of the BIOS. Also, in this case, the regression test of the BIOS is conducted by visually checking the behavior while temporarily halting the calling of the BIOS using the hardware debugger.
In addition, a technique has been developed in which a device having a higher priority boots an OS of a device having a lower priority.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-122410
However, to boot a plurality of OSs in the conventional regression tests of the BIOS, the operator performs operations such as switching the hard disks to be connected and changing the setting of the BIOS. Thus, much time and efforts are required. In addition, the behavior in the booting of the OS is checked by visual check of the operator. This also requires much time and efforts.